Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Land 2018 MLS All-Star Game

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is expected to stage a marquee event in its sophomore season, as it is reportedly hosting the 2018 MLS All-Star Game.

Opening this year as home to Atlanta United FC as well as the NFL’s Falcons, Mercedes-Benz Stadium already has some major events planned on its docket. On the football side alone, the facility is set to begin hosting the annual SEC Championship Game in December, and the NFL has named it the host of Super Bowl LIII, which will be played in 2019.

Yet, the stadium is catching plenty of attention in the soccer world as well, as evidenced by United FC’s success on the attendance front in 2017. MLS plans to showcase the stadium with the 2018 All-Star Game, and will reportedly announce that decision next week. More from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

A news conference has been scheduled for Monday at the stadium.

Atlanta was one of several cities under consideration by the league to host the event, which in the past few years has matched MLS players against some of the world’s best club teams. The All-Stars, featuring Atlanta United players Miguel Almiron, Michael Parkhurst and Greg Garza, hosted Real Madrid in Chicago in August with more than 61,000 tickets sold.

One advantage for Mercedes-Benz Stadium is its ability to accommodate large crowds for major events. Though its capacity can be reduced for soccer, the stadium hosted a new MLS single-game attendance record in September, when it welcomed 70,425 fans for a contest between Atlanta and Orlando, and appears poised to set another record on Sunday.